The Continuing Story of Deep Space 2: Page 104
Sarah was glad to hear that there would be doubled security for the
Vice President's visit. She was interested in the visit because she
had little opportunity in her travels to interact with local elected
officials. She assumed the position of the Vice President was an
elected position and not hereditary.
Ernie mentally asked her if he had to learn how to curtsy when
meeting the Vice President. Sarah asked Ernie why was he asking such
an odd question. Ernie said he had heard some scuttle butt between
two crew members that when dignitaries arrived you had to "flipping
well curtsy, lick their boots and bent over backwards!" Ernie said he
could bend over backwards and guess could lick the Vice President's
boots but wasn't sure what a curtsy entailed.
Sarah chuckled to herself and told him not to worry because probably
an insignificant Ewok & her furry bat companion would most likely not
come to the attention of the Vice President when coming on an
important visit.
SETTING: Karn swept out the chair from underneath Dr. Vergal,
quickly, with one foot: Lighting fast in mid fall, Karn pinned the
Dr's chest and arm down to the floor with his combat boots, while
taking a hold of the Dr.'s foot.
KARN (with a nice squeeze Karn leaned down with a smirk): "I prefer
breaking toes over stepping on them. You pick: Which piggies going to
market?"
GAV TIRAL (Outraged): "That's quite enough, Mr. Karn! Maybe that's
proper procedure wherever it is you're from, but the Alice Cooper-B
is a Federation Starfleet vessel adhering here to strict Starfleet
procedure in such matters. Furthermore."
<<>>
KARN (Sarcastic, letting Dr. Vergal up while still keeping his
blaster aimed in his direction): "You were saying, Lt. Cmdr. Tiral?"
FRANCES: "That's enough out of both of you! Point is we now know who
the culprit is and, while I agree that Master Karn might have
overstepped his boundaries here, I suggest we put that behind us for
the time being -- Master Karn not to repeat such behavior anytime
soon, I'm sure".
FRANCES (Gives Karn a pointed look, warning him to watch out from
then on, turning then her attention to Sarah and Ernie, replying to
Sarah's remarks concerning the Federation Vice President now on his
way - Sarah telling Frances what Ernie said about the Federation Vice
President now on his way as well as her reply about an insignificant
Ewok and bat): "Actually, Sarah, I think your anonymity. both yours
and Ernie's. might prove a definite advantage. If nobody takes notice
of either of you, it should make it easier for you to keep tabs on
others while remaining `under their radar' if you know what I mean".
<<< At that Frances gives Sarah and Ernie a smile and wink only
seconds before the arrival of Captain Kalee, Admiral Arthur, Maccs
Avaat, Alice V.F. Cooper (the Seventh), Colonel Theys, and Lt. Elayna
K. Katz>>>
SETTING: One hour later, Senior Officer's briefing room aboard the
Alice Cooper-B, all our characters there along with Captain Kalee,
Gav Tiral, Alice #7, and Professor Sybrek - the rest of Prof.
Sybrek's party elsewhere.
PROF. SYBREK: "Frankly, Captain, I'm at a total loss for words. I
admit that Dr. Vergal was a `last minute substitute but he all the
same came highly recommended by the Vulcan Academy. And as for who he
might be working for, I have no idea what to suggest there either."
GAV: "Nor does the `good Doctor' seem willing to talk. I have him in
the brig. maximum security. but he seems almost scared for his life,
remaining silent as the grave - no pun intended.
"All the same, though, I have a feeling he knows more about both the
stolen artifact and the missing populations on Denorado, Katsimar,
and Erogarndi".
CAPT. KALEE: "And on that note, I think it time we investigate for
ourselves these mysterious disappearances. If I'm not mistaken,
Erogarndi is only a day's journey from our present position. With
that we should be able to divert course, granting us at least three
days to investigate matters there while giving us likewise enough
time to return to DS-2 in time to meet the Federation Vice President
upon his arrival there in six days time".
ALICE #7: "Correct, Sir".
CAPT. KALEE: "Very good. In that case with your permission, Admiral
Arthur I'd like to divert course to Erogarndi: see what awaits us
there".
Sarah decided to share some of Ernie's adventures with her fellow
team members to help cheer them up, since they were concerned at
Maccs apparent "long" silence doing their most recent investigation
of a death on board. Had Maccs been taken control of again as in the
past? Seemed a possibility since anyone who has known Maccs for any
length of time knows how much he is usually in the middle of
everything going on. Wondered if might be a virus? Of course if it would be for the good of the group, Sarah was willing to blow up the "latest" Maccs with some explosives she had meant to use for the upcoming Independence celebration! Hey, if it had to be done for the good of the crew, she was willing to blew his "brains" out. Wasn't like another Maccs couldn't be created!!!
ERNIE-TAP DANCING FREEDOM FIGHTER (Part 1)
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One of Ernie's earliest adventures was when he had fell asleep inside
the upper inner structure of a Empire storm trooper transport ship
due to establish a base on the planet Endor. He had been curious
about the ship that he had never seen before so decided to check it
out when it came into port for supplies before going on to Endor.
After flying around inside the more "unoccupied" areas, checking out
all the more interesting shadows, and naturally looking for any good
looking unattached female bats who might want to chat it up, he
decided was tired so would catch 40 winks in a nice dark cool area
before leaving the ship. Naturally as our smallest hero is napping in
one of the cargo bays, the ship takes off on its next scheduled stop
to Endor. The Empire had decided to establish the base as a homebase
to launch searches for the rebels who were organizing to fight the
Empire's rule. Rumors persisted that there might be a secret
resistance post on Endor which the storm troopers were to find and
destroy if it existed. Like Rip Van Winkle, Ernie was about to discover-taking a long nap can have unexpected complications!
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Admiral Arthur looked at Captain Kalee. He knew that there was no loss in time if they would make a slight detour to Erogarndi, but he also knew that there was nothing to find there. The Erogarndi were gone. All Federation ships which had gone there to see and examine the cause had not found anything. But maybe this time was different. There more than a few ships here, which weren't exactly Federation design including USS Strike itself, a fully automated droid managed starship of which the Admiral himself was not really sure how it all worked. But it was known to him that this ship had sensor abilities, never build in the Federation...
"Helm, set course to Erogarndi. Inform the other ships where we are going and give Captain Kalee the word of our change of course. Inform Deep Space 2 of our detour as well. We will be on time to meet the Vice President of the United Federation of Planets."
In transit to the Erogarndi system Frances and Karn arrived in the Alice Cooper-B's brig along with Sarah and Ernie, Frances and Karn being there only as a distraction to keep the ship's newest prisoner off-guard, Sarah and Ernie the ones who were there in order to discover more concerning the matter of Dr. Vergal and those mysterious individuals he served as a would-be assassin.
"This way", Gav Tiral escorted all four to Dr. Vergal's holding cell, this visit in fact his idea… both his and Captain Kalee's… the idea being for Frances and Karn to keep Dr. Vergal off-balance so he'd pay no attention to either the small Ewok, or her furry little mind-reading friend.
And reaching the "good" doctor's cell, all four (and Gav as well) found the prisoner just as cocky… just as arrogant… as before.
"As I said before, I have nothing more to say", Dr. Vergal countered before anyone else had a chance to say a single word at all.
"You'll have to speak sooner or later", Karn pointed out, his tone much less antagonistic before, sounding now quite calm about the whole matter. "At least, if you talk now, it might go better at your trial…"
"There'll be no trial", the Tellarite prisoner smiled a broad smile in the direction of not only Karn, but all of those now visiting him -- Sarah and Ernie, remaining all the while in back of the others, going all the same unnoticed.
And going about the task at hand, Ernie knowing from Sarah what was expected of him; both Ewok and bat focused their attention on that defiant voice now in custody.
"And as for the one I serve, he will never stand trial either", Dr. Vergal assured everyone listening, head held high, standing tall in the face of his inquisitors: "All those who oppose him destined to be swept away like so much dust in the wind…"
Yet as he spoke in such cryptic terms concerning that mysterious entity he served, all Sarah and Ernie could scan in Dr. Vergal's mind were equally cryptic images -- a seven pointed red star not unlike a horned beast being the most prevalent… a barren, blackened, landscape full of twisted figures serving as background -- surreal scenes of
desolation all that Ernie could discover.
"for he shall blot out all those who stand in his way, outshine all those stars now beyond us, making desolate all those former gods before him", Dr. Vergal concluded at last -- his eyes now possessing an almost fevered expression like unto some religious zealot preaching fire and brimstone to a captive audience -- Ernie experiencing a quite visible shudder hearing Dr. Vergal's last remark.
And turning his back now upon all those beyond his cell Dr. Vergal walked over instead to the other side of his somewhat cramped "quarters", stretching out now on his prison cot as though quite alone, ignoring now everyone there as though none of them even existed.